Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-03
The Herald's Omnibus.
Halloween Decoration.

Halloween Decoration.
The night of Oct. 81, Hallow Eve,
was one of the finest seen in Lancaster
for at least year. From a cloudless
sky full moon shed flood of golden
glory down through frosty yet mellow
atmosphere and filed the quiet streets
and slumbering landscape with that
subdued light so much sought after by
heart-smitten youth and fanciful ghouls
Peaceful citizens of the town were
snug in their beds, dreaming of finan-
eial victories won on hard-fought fields
of trade, or had other pleasing visions;
but the witches were abroad. Their
footsteps tinkled upon the house-tops;
their pale-winged garments dashed
against the window pane; the dogs
howled nournfully at them or skunk,
frightened, through the troubled shad-
ows. Tho witches were abroad.
Early-risers on Tuesday morning
found the city well decorated. If
Cleveland had come in on early train
he would have been struck with our
novel festoons. There was grim
humor about some of the "ix ups" that
made appreciative people yell with de-
light; while the more sedate citizen
evidenced some displeasure and in
sisted that such unruly spirits be ''cor-
ralled'' at ''the captains Office and
taste His Honor's displessure IN a
small fine. The city was decorated
about as follows:
In the street between the Wright
House and g. ii. Bakers large rail-
fence pig pen was erected of cord-wood
sticks. 1t contained large dead hog,
a pig trough and some ears of corn.
On Monday John Bollard, eight miles
north of this city, drove in his hogs, and
four of them, weighing about 800 pounds
each, died after they got here from
being over-driven. 1t was one of these
fully in the hastily constructed pen
with half shelled ears of corn all about
him. So natural was his reclining
position that many tried to wake him
up.
Book & Schreiner found a plat OF
ground fenced off in front of their office
of which their books contained no alb
stract, and the fence was so we'll built
that no team coming along the street
could pass it.
Will Stone found the facade of his
drug store ornamented with beer kegs,
and whenever an old topper dropped
in and called for bitters Will voted six
times for St. John.
Across Erskine McCoy's doorway
was stretched cows hide surmounted
by hat.
A baby carriage, taken from Perk
Greene's piazza, was tied on top of
John Simison's chimney.
One of the dead hogs lay on Joe
Nathan's meat market steps.
Morse & Willey's delivery wagon was
found on the top of their ware house.
Across their doorway was suspended q
large white hog, sawed half in two, with
the saw still in it.
Joe Nathan's delivery wagon doomed
up on top of Tony Howell's barber
shop.
NJ S. Trowbridge's meat market
door was piled up with boxes, wheel
borrow and dead hog.
In front of Simon's Chicago store
was pile of boxes as large as a small
house.
One of ID. Griffith's mowers went
over into the court yard, and pots,
kettles, boxes, barrels, signs, steps,
gates and everything movable were
piled along the streets against business
house doors. All the quaint curiosties
that dwell in our alleys and by-ways
came into the main thoroughfares on
dress parade.
Between eleven and twelve O'Clock
there was trade of the ghosts. A
bevy of young ladies. habited in
''spookish" attire, formed in procession
and paraded through the streets.
Halloween, coming once year, al
ways has been and always will be cele-
brated everywhere in about this man.
ner. So long as the articles touched
are not destroyed or damaged it is
best to remain calm and make no COM
plant. Some men show wisdom in the
premises and they will be found with
the class who laugh. Here is an in
stance of policy aforethought: About
half-past ten o'clock the HERALD's
All-around found Ira Bellows scratch
ing his back against one of the columns
that support his piazza and chuckling
good-humoredly while the veranda APP
peared like the deck of ship cleared
for action. Said Ira: you don't see
anything of my bench or other loose
articles around here, do you?" The ALL
around admitted thathe didn't. "Welr'
continued he, "I've got 'em locked up
in the barn. The only difference be-
tween locking them up and leaving
them out here is that I'll know where
to find them in the morning" And he
felt so good over it that he couldn't go
to bed.
Mt. Hope.
Cfroffo, 80 hoV,a acra;,, ffo,. n